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July 7, 2009
What all cities share with Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
The events on the fringes of the Chinese empire this week might sound confusing and exotic. But their roots are actually quite familiar.
The clashes between Uyghurs (WEE-GARs, a turkik-speaking, Islamic people living in the Chinese state) and the Han Chinese in Urumqi and Kashgar this week presented the ugly side of the ongoing ethnic or cultural evolution that occurs in cities.
Cities are not static in their economies or ethnic make-up. They evolve and change as new people and ideas and goods flow through.
This region was not always part of “China.” It was once a heart of the Silk Routes — a network of pathways that, off-and-on, for about 3000 years allowed for trade between myriad central Asian peoples and Europeans as well as Africans. Ethnic mixing and migrations were and are a part of that history. Besides Han and Uyghurs, this region is home to Russians, Tajiks (with striking blond hair and green eyes), the Kyrgyz, and others whose ancestors came to trade, escape, or simply seek opportunity.
More recently, resource-based economic development has resulted in millions of Han Chinese moving to the region, creating a tension with those whose ancestors arrived earlier. With closer linguistic, political and cultural connections to the seats of power, the Han often have the better personal and business networks that allows for higher prosperity in many cases. (Although some would argue a more sinister plan here — as in Tibet — on the part of the Chinese State, I’ve decided to use “Occam’s Razor” and summarize only what can be observed.)
In any city, individuals, families and cultures from different backgrounds coming together naturally creates tension — sometimes this is good. The edge allows for the creativity that is making cities the economic engines of the 21st century. But the tension can also result in feelings of being threatened. Unfortunately, not everyone thrives as cities change and evolve.
Think about the LA Riots in 1992; the arrival of Korean immigrants to a traditionally African-American neighbourhood contributed to the tensions that boiled over.
In France and Germany, which have seen tremendous immigration over the last decades, perceptions of ethnic and economic exclusion have contributed to violent conflict.
Fortunately, in many urban areas around the world, residents have become reasonably adept at getting along and more accepting of each others differences. Economic prosperity undoubtedly helps. Indeed, a key challenge for urban leaders in the 21st century may be to ensure that the cultural evolution that naturally occurs in cities and in neighbourhoods serves as a positive force, rather than a negative, destructive one.
Postscript FYI: Much of this came to me while researching schools for my son. I noticed the history of our neighbourhood school. It opened 98 years ago serving a population of primarily German and British decent, perhaps with a few Japanese students as well. By the 1950s the vast majority of students were of Italian origin. Today, 60% are of East Asian(or partial East Asian) decent although fewer than 30% have English as a Second Language. My area has gone from a series of Salish settlements, to a British outpost, to a European melting pot, to an Asia-Pacific and global place all in 100 years. That’s a lot of change to absorb — and yet it happened relatively peacefully.
Topics: urban history, economic development, communities |
July 8th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Maintaining peace and order among rapidly changing communities has unique challenges. The characteristics by which people group and identify themselves with are not always predictable but often related to a cultural background. People will automatically group themselves and difficulties in the community can easily evolve into ethnic violence. There’s something to learn with Canada’s approach to several of these challenges.
In the building of the Welland Canal, violence between protestant and catholic workmen was escalating. To maintain order the government did not deploy catholic or protestant law enforcement, but rather black officers. The choice gave the impression of impartiality to the enforcement of law and order, making it difficult for either group to rally against the enforcers.
The CNE (Canada’s National Exhibition) in Toronto is an example of an event with no particular cultural association. The event provides a shared experience that all Torontonians can associate with and brings unity among all communities.
Visitors to Toronto from Detroit often ask if there are any black people in Toronto. The answer seems obvious, unless you consider the historical ethnic conflict between blacks and whites in the city of Detroit. The answer I give is… “No there are no black people in Toronto. There are Jamaicans, Somalis, Nigerians, etc… but they have as much in common with each other as Ukranians, Scots, and Brazilians.” In Toronto there is not a melting pot of either black or white regardless of all other characteristics. Diversity is promoted among ethnic enclaves with newsletters and media. Celebrating diversity among groups makes it difficult to amalgamate them into competing forces.
From the above examples the following three factors can be applied to reduce ethnic tensions in communities.
-should conflict arise between 2 groups, use a third group not associated to the two to resotre order.
-find unifying factors not identified with any community, whether it is a sporting event or festival to provide a shared experience to all in the community.
-influence diversity so no single ethnic group becomes dominant. Promote unique dividing factors among dominant groups.
July 10th, 2009 at 4:41 am
I don’t know why you said Xin Jiang is not part of China. Do you know history of China?Pls study Chinese history then address your points. Chinese has 5000 thousands years history, a multi national country, with 56 nationalities all in. They have different culture and custom.How much you know Xin Jiang? I think all you think is from media. But have you thought news you read is slanted???
China is a victim of aggression and never invade other countires.Why you always adopt hostile attitude to it?Why??????Janpanese invaded China and committed enough atrocities, they still deny this, why nobody accuse them? Do you know Chinese goverment release their war debt?
If you don’t know truth behind news,Chinese history, special cultre different from western countries, socity, you haven’t right to give any comment!!!!
By the way, I’m a Chinese.